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Southland Man Spares No Expense To Create Replica Pan Am 747

CITY OF INDUSTRY (CBSLA.com) — One Southland man has spared no expense to recreate a mock 1970s Pan Am 747 that’s now on display at a warehouse in the city of Industry.

As CBS2’s Amy Johnson reports, Anthony Toth has been working on a life-size model plane for about 35 years, moving it from place to place before finally having it settle into a 3000 square-foot warehouse.

“When I was 5 years old, I boarded a 747 back in the early 70s with my family on a trip to Europe and the experience actually changed my life forever,” Toth said.

Toth, who works at United Airlines in the passenger sales division, says he’s spent his weekends and vacation days working on the replica 747, which is equipped with electricity for in-flight films and food.

The mock plane also contains Pan Am coffee cups and dishes, as well as, emergency cards and a closet full of uniforms.

The cost? More than $100,000.

“This particular model cost me a lot of money to build but it was completely worth it,” he said. “I guess there’s a part of me that wanted to recreate that brand and that image of flying.”

Amy JohnsonAmy Johnson grew up in San Diego's North County in Poway and knew from an early age that she wanted to be a television news reporter. After graduating...More fromAmy Johnson